Hmm... Marc, I'd rather own the B-camera than hire one for each project.
Also, I guess I need some explanation to you guys. I am a one-man band right now, as - after the unsuccessful series of surgeries on my neck spine - I'm partially physically disabled and so my shooting gigs are so to speak "low profile", in that I'm unable to DP the project and operate one of several cameras like I used to do before the surgeries. Back in that time, we shot classical chamber music events; all footage would be hand over to me for grading, editing, and authoring DVDs/BDs (of which we sold quite a lot, actually). But those times are gone now unfortunately; I'm still active as a freelance lonely shooter and colorist/editor. I also managed to sell most of my rigs (including the EX1 camera), as I'm now unable to wrangle all this on set - and I replaced all this stuff with a complete UHD equipment (wanted it to be as future-proof as only possible, because at my age and health condition I realize this might as well prove to be the last set of rig I'll ever be able to afford and use in my lifetime
After rehabilitating a bit from my surgeries, I've only been shooting just about everything I found beautiful and interesting enough - and while still learning Resolve, I've been "producing" shorts and features films for my own use. But as a classical music lover, I'm entertaining the idea of returning to live chamber music concerts coverage - and to nake my movies less static, buy a B-cam so that I'd shoot soloists close-ups and just additional angles of the ensemble. But with my spine and arms still terribly weak, I am limited to walking around in search for interesting "beauty shots" only using a small, lighweight and unobtrusive camera - hence the idea of the B-cam being limited to something like those little Sony stills cameras (capable of 4K as well as S-log/S-gamut which - assuming the same color science as my FS7 - should be the best for intercutting with the latter in my 2-camera movies).
So really, it will either be the Sony A6500 (or perhaps the A7S ii, which is a full-frame little champ of low-light) - or the Black Magic Production 4K camera (because of its 10 bit capabilities).
BTW I find it very symptomatic and telling a lot that - even on the BMD's own Forum - not a single person advised to go with the latter so far... Also I must admit the Sony DSLRs have this additional appeal of being capable stills cameras as well!
So I will modify slightly my original alternatives, and ask you guys which of the following two you would advise, considering all about my non-typical limitations and preferences:
- the Sony
A6500 (
with its APS-C sensor size identical to the FS7's; it's cheap plus I wouldn't need to invest in another Metabones Speed Booster adapter for using one of my Canon EF zooms and primes as I already have one for my FS7 - nevertheless, in order to use Canon glass on both cameras,
I'd probably need to buy the second adapter in the future, anyway - but with less initial price it would still be relatively cheap)
- the Sony
A7S ii (
with full-frame sensor; it's twice as expensive as the A6500, but it could work perfectly with my FS7 kit lens - the Sony 28-135mm cinematic zoom; for the same Canon EF looks on both my cameras, I could buy the cheaper, non-Speed Booster, regular EF->E mount adapter; as all my lenses are only F4.0 this camera might be more appropriate than the A6500 - as with FF sensor with "only" 12 megs of large photosites,
it really is the low-light champion). But - apart from being quite expensive - do you think inter-cutting its FF image with S35mm from the FS7 would be appropriate?
So - as you can see - with all those pros and cons the choice is not an easy one... For that reason, I'm still counting on more advise and comments from you guys; thanks in advance (and sorry for the lenghty post
).
Piotr
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